Historically, diseased, injured or defective joints, such as, for example, joints exhibiting osteoarthritis, were repaired using standard off-the-shelf implants and other surgical devices. Surgical implant systems that employed a one-size-fits-all approach to implant design (and even those that utilized a “few-sizes-fit-all” approach, including modularly assembled systems) did not typically require highly accurate information about the patient's anatomy. Instead, such systems utilized gross anatomical measurements such as the maximum bone dimensions at the implant site, as well as the patient weight and age, to determine a “suitable” implant. The surgical procedure then concentrated on altering the underlying bony anatomical support structures (i.e., by cutting, drilling and/or otherwise modifying the bone structures) to accommodate the existing contact surfaces of the pre-manufactured implant. With these systems, varying quantities of implants and/or implant components would be manufactured and stockpiled. Once a potential patient was identified, an appropriate implant and/or component would be selected, transported to the surgical location and utilized in the patient's surgical procedure.
More recently, the joint replacement field has come to embrace the concept of “patient-adapted” (e.g., “patient-specific” and “patient-engineered”) implant systems. With such systems, the surgical implants, associated surgical tools and procedures are designed or otherwise modified to account for and accommodate the individual anatomy of the patient undergoing the surgical procedure. Such systems typically utilize non-invasive imaging data, taken of the individual pre-operatively, to guide the design and/or selection of the implant, surgical tools, and the planning of the surgical procedure itself. Various objectives of these newer systems can include (1) reducing the amount of bony anatomy removed to accommodate the implant, (2) designing/selecting an implant that replicates and/or improves the function of the natural joint, (3) increasing the durability and functional lifetime of the implant, (4) simplifying the surgical procedure for the surgeon, (5) reducing patient recovery time and/or discomfort, and (6) improving patient outcomes.
Because patient-adapted implant systems are created using anatomical information from a particular patient, such systems are generally created after the patient has been designated a “surgical candidate” and undergone non-invasive imaging. But, because such systems are not generally pre-manufactured and stockpiled (as are traditional systems), there can be a considerable delay between patient diagnosis and the actual surgery, much of which is due to the amount of time necessary to design and manufacture the patient-adapted implant components using the patient image data.
A significant portion of any delay between patient diagnosis/imaging and actual surgery can often be attributed to the time needed to manufacture each patient-adapted implant system to a particular patient's anatomy. Often, such implants are manufactured individually or in small batches, using a 3rd party vendor, which can greatly increase the cost of creating such implant components as compared to the large batch manufacturing used with traditional non-custom implants.
In addition, because patient-adapted implant systems are manufactured in limited quantities, a fracture, failure or sufficient discrepancy identified at any point in the manufacturing process can have significant consequences, including the non-availability of implant components when needed and/or a requirement to remanufacture implant components and/or ordering implants on an expedited (and much more expensive) basis to meet deadlines.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for advanced methods, techniques, devices and systems to ensure the availability of patient-adapted implant components for a scheduled surgery in a cost effective and efficient manner.